title: Glucocorticoid treatment, immobility, and constipation are associated with nutritional risk.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The hypothesis of this clinical study was to determine whether glucocorticoid use and immobility were associated with in-hospital nutritional risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and one patients consecutively admitted to the medical wards were enrolled. Current medical conditions, symptoms, medical history, eating and drinking habits, diagnosis, laboratory findings, medications, and anthropometrics were recorded. The Nutrition Risk Score 2002 (NRS-2002) was used as a screening instrument to identify nutritional risk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results confirmed that glucocorticoid use and immobility are independently associated with nutritional risk determined by the NRS-2002. Constipation could be determined as an additional cofactor independently associated with nutritional risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Glucocorticoid treatment, immobility, and constipation are associated with nutritional risk in a mixed hospitalized population. The presence of long-time glucocorticoid use, immobility, or constipation should alert the clinician to check for nutritional status, which is an important factor in mortality and morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. jean-pierre.gutzwiller@unibas.ch
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gutzwiller
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aschwanden
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iff
authors.forename: Michèle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leuenberger
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perrig
authors.forename: Zeno
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Stanga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001510:Bed Rest / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003248:Constipation / Q000150:complications*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids